Locking-clip for filing documents.



No. 838,046. PATENTED OCT. 9, 1906.

l J. GRAHAM. LOCKING CLIP FOR FILING DOCUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.1. 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 9, 1906.

Application filed September l, 1905.' Serial No. 276.734.

' the construction of such clips s0 that they may be readily locked in the closed position.

In order that my said invention may be properly understood, I havehereunto appended an explanatory sheet of drawings, whereonh Figure 1 is a front view of a double locking-clip. Fig. 2 is an end view of same. Fig. 3 is a cross-section showing the clip locked. Fig. 4 `is a cross-section showing the clip unlocked.

Under my invention I make the clip with the usual hollow or chambered base a, to

which is fitted, when the clip is a double one, t`wo fixed uprights l) c, which may be made of hollow tube or the like. A double movable upright d is also fitted to the base. The

double movable upright d consists of oneA piece of wire or rod or` the like having a horizontal part or portion e and two vertical parts d d2, the horizontal part c being Y movably fitted in the hollow chamber j at the back of the base a of the clip, while the two vertical parts d d2 project upward through openings made in the top of the chamber. The tWo vertical parts d d2 are, as usual, deflected or arched at their upper ends, so as to meet the upper ends of the two fixed hollow uprights l) c, and the ends of the arched vertical parts are reduced in size atf to enable them to enter the upper ends of the'fixed hollow uprights b c, so that when the clip is closed they can be locked in that position.

The device for locking the clip in the closed position may consist of an ordinary lock g or the like, which is referabl'y fitted in the hollow base a. A ieyhole would be made in the base a for the insertion of the key h. When the clip is closed, it can be locked by simply turning the key h, so that the bolt i of the lock g is moved outward through a hole 7 in the wall of the chamber and over the horizontal part e of the double movable upright d. Vhen in the locked position, the

' reduced parts f of the arched vertical parts d/ d2 enter the fixed uprights b c, with the result that the clip is securely fastened or locked and papers cannot be withdrawn except by tearing them off. When it is desired to open the clip, the action is reversed, the key h being turned the opposite way, thereby withdrawing the bolt t of the lock g and allowing the double movable upright d to be moved upward in the chamber j and clear of the fixed uprights b c (see dotted lines, Fig. 2) and then bent backward, y(see Fig. 4,) so that papers can be placed on the uprights b c or withdrawn therefrom in the usual manner.

As will be readily understood, the invention may be applied to single clips in a similar nlianner to that described above for double c ips.

When the clip is locked, the papers can only be torn off, with the result that such tearing is at once noticed on the papers. Also persons cannot put papers on the clip without first obtaining the key. The clip will therefore be found very useful for filing valuable or important papers.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In'a clip, a base having a plurality of chambers therein, there being an aperture communicating with said chambers, fixed uprights carried by said base, movable uprights mounted in one of said chambers and having a horizontal connecting portion contained therein, and a locking-bolt in the other of said chambers adapted to pass through said aperture and above said horizontal portion to maintain said movable uprights in locked position.

2. In a clip, a base having a chamber therein, fixed uprights carried by said base, uprights having a horizontal connecting portion at their lower ends movably mounted in said base, a locking-bolt and means for causing said bolt to pass above the horizontal portion of said movable uprights.

3. A paper-clip having in combination a hollow base, a locking-bolt therein, said base having a chamber at one side thereof, fixed uprights carried by the base, movable uprights having a horizontal connecting portion at their lower ends vertically movable in said chamber, and means for causing said locking-bolt to pass above and engage the horizontal connecting portion of the movable uprights.

IOO

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4. A paper-clip having in combination, a hollow base, a locking-bolt therein, said base having a chamber at one side thereof, fixed uprights carried by the base, movable up rights having a horizontal portion connecting their lower ends and vertically movable in said chamber, means for causing said locking-bolt to pass above the connecting portion of the movable uprights to prevent their upward movement, the upper portion of each of said movable uprights being deflected, and having a reduced end adapted to be seated in the upper end of said fixed uprights.

5.' A paper-clip having in combination, a hollow base having a chamber at one side thereof, there being an aperture communieating with said hollow jbase andv said cham ber, a locking-bolt mounted in said base, fixed uprights carried by-said base, movable uprights having a horizontal connecting porf tion at their: lower end mounted in said chamber and vertically movable therein, the

l' vsaid locking-bolt being adapted to pass through said aperture and above the connecting portion of said movable uprights.

6. A paper-clip having in combination, a hollow base having a chamber therein at one side thereof and extending upwardly, movable uprights having a horizontallyeextending connecting portion mounted in said chamber, said movable uprights passing through the upper open ends of said chamber and having their upper ends deflected and their extreme outer ends reduced, fixed uprights carried by said base each having a recess at their upper ends in which the reduced ends of the movable uprights are adapted to be seated, there being an aperture communicating with said hollow base and said chamber and a key-actuated locking-bolt mounted in said hollow base and adapted to pass through said aperture and above the horizontal portion of the movable uprights.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN GRAHAM.I

Witnesses:

CLAUDE GILLIEs, Ro. A. THOMSON. 

